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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. chip — to eat
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bear — the animal
  6. firm — steady
  7. bear — the animal
  8. firm — decided
  9. spell — a short time
  10. lie — to recline
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. spell — letters
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. spring — of water
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. firm — a company
  18. squash — to crush
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. spell — magic
  21. spring — the season
  22. squash — the sport
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — for betting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com